"I don't think your sister likes me," James whispered as the older girl left the living room with what could only be described as a flounce. Being well-liked wasn't usually high on his list of priorities; as long as he could face his friends and girlfriend without shame, he didn't care what individual people thought of him. This time, however, her good opinion had meant something to him.
Settling into his side, Lily scoffed at the understatement. She'd warned him that the chances of her sister accepting him was slim to none, but he'd insisted that he could charm his – and, by extension, Lily's – way into her good graces. Secretly, the redhead had hoped that he would succeed; she had seen enough troubled glances thrown her way over the years to know that Petunia, despite their issues, wanted a reconciliation as much as she did. Unfortunately, her expectations had been proven right; while Petunia had indeed seemed flattered by James' charisma and compliments, she had ultimately snubbed them both. "It's alright. She's not that fond of me, either."
"But I had such high hopes for that one," he declared, his voice the embodiment of misery as he clutched at his chest as if heartbroken by her sister's casual dismissal. "Whatever shall I do now? My life has no meaning anymore."
His antics sent a smile flittering across her face despite her attempts to suppress it. She'd recently noticed a rather interesting trend in which the Marauders tended to get more melodramatic and ridiculous when people they cared about felt downhearted. Still, she didn't want their evening to take a turn for the sappy. She'd cried to him about it before and she was sure she would do so again, but the school holidays were coming to an end, and she didn't want to waste the precious time that remained on things that could be done just as well at school. In a no-nonsense tone, she replied crisply, "Watch a film with me, that's what."
A grin spread across his face at the prospect, and he practically bounced in his seat. "Yes, let's do that," he said, even as Lily was displaced by his jostling and moved to the other, much safer, side of the lounge. "They sound fascinating, but I still don't get how they actually work. I mean, I do in theory. It's like a wizarding photograph, you said, except that it's – What was it again?"
"Longer, fictional, and scripted," she replied as she made her way over to the cabinet to find a film she thought he'd like. It needs to be interesting and well-made, ideally with a flair for the dramatic. "I guess it's kind of a cross between a photograph and a play, really."
"That was it. Still, I don't get how it actually works. You said the photographs change and are cut together, so it sounds like a collage, except it's not all stuck together to make one big picture. It's just all so confusing. It's a photograph and a play and a collage and not a collage." He frowned in consternation at the idea. He wasn't used to struggling to comprehend a concept; he'd been gifted with natural intelligence and born into one of the wealthiest pureblood families in Britain, so he had a good, well-rounded education. The idea of facing a topic that he couldn't relate back to something he'd already come across was both confounding and completely frustrating.
Fondness flared up in her chest as she stared at him, the video she'd selected clutched to her chest like a teddy bear comforting a child. So much was going on in the wizarding world – tension was thickening and allegiances were being formed and new reasons to afraid were popping up like gnomes – and the fact that he was genuinely interested in Muggle culture despite that meant a lot to her. They both had a lot on their minds, yet it – and she – meant enough to him for him to expend brainpower working out things he would never even really need to know. The extent of his fascination ultimately stemmed from his desire to understand her life and cultural context, but, at times like this, it was plain to see that he was genuinely excited by the technology as well. "It'll make sense when it starts," she assured him. "You're going to love this. It's called The Wizard of Oz. It was released a few decades ago, so movies have developed a lot since then in terms of picture quality and realism, but it's a classic for a reason."
"It's about magic?"
"Kind of. Different characters try to use magic to achieve their goals. The film itself is really more about friendship and personal development, though." Anticipating the opportunity to witness his introduction to something that had been such a normal part of her childhood, Lily hurriedly set up the movie before hastening back over to the lounge to cuddle up next to him. It didn't take long for them to settle into the position they'd both quickly determined was most comfortable for them. His arm wrapped around her shoulders like a warm blanket, and she lay her head against his chest. The sound of his beating heart rumbled against her ear, and she smiled at the intimacy of it. It was such a mutually vulnerable position, really, and she was glad that – after all they'd been through – they could both open themselves up like that.
She couldn't wait to see the understanding dawn on his face as everything she'd described clicked into place. They would be able to nonchalantly allude to the girl who wasn't in Kansas anymore or to the Scarecrow who just wanted a brain or to the witch who melted under the purity of water and smile at the memory of exploring that story together. He would probably add We're Off to See the Wizard to his repertoire of songs to belt out in the shower, confusing the boys in neighbouring cubicles who didn't know what yellow brick roads had to do with anything.
He would understand – and, knowing him, he would cherish that newfound understanding, that heightened connection.
She snuggled closer to him as the all-too-familiar opening started and he gasped at the sight. Her parents liked him. Her sister didn't. Yet, however much she would have loved for them to all be one big happy family, she found that – at the heart of it – she didn't really care.
All that mattered was them.
A/N: Written for the Cluedo/Clue Challenge for the prompts 'Lily Potter (née Evans)', 'confused', and 'scarecrow'.
This is the couple that first brought me to fanfic all the way back in 2008, so it's exciting to actually write about them again. I don't have any definite plans about what the next one-shot will be about or when I'll get around to writing it, however; this is mostly just so that I can keep any short pieces I write about them together rather than having them clutter up my profile.
